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It’s no secret Chevrolet has struggled in the small-car arena, and with bad memories of the Aveo still lingering, our judges didn’t expect much from its replacement, the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. Boy, were we surprised.
Editors were blown away by the improvements, especially on the inside. Singled out were the Sonic’s chic, intuitive dash layout, well designed controls, and the large and quiet interior that belied its overall size and price point.
Possibly even more surprising than the Sonic’s quality were its driving dynamics. Though it understeered on the test track, on real-world roads, the Sonic charmed with its solid chassis, communicative steering, and quick responses. The Sonic was also praised for its chassis control on bumpy roads and railroad crossings. The turbocharged engine also drew praise for its solid pull, even if a few editors wanted more top end.
It wasn’t all good news, though. Several editors complained about the car’s driveability on the road, noting that the combination of a sensitive throttle and non-linear power delivery made it hard to row the gears smoothly. Others balked at the shifter itself, calling it “loose,” “rubbery,” and “vague.” The transmission was also dinged for its extra-long gearing, which forces you to downshift from sixth to third to find any real power. On the other hand, it helped return 28.3 mpg during our hard-driving test.
Do you think the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic has what it takes to win the Car of the Year title? Stay tuned as we preview every car that Motor Trend tested for its 2012 Motor Trend Car of the Year competition in alphabetical order in advance of the official announcement on Nov. 16. |
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Post time 3-11-2011 12:10 AM
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